Undergraduate Orientation and Arrival

The Undergraduate Orientation team welcomes all new students to Tufts. We are excited for your arrival and are currently preparing for a vibrant, meaningful, and inviting experience as you transition to the Jumbo community. The Undergraduate Orientation website will be updated throughout the spring and summer, keeping students and families updated on important information regarding fall arrival.

Arrival

The official new student arrival day is Wednesday, August 28, 2024. The logistics of arrival, including time and location, are still to be determined. Updates will be communicated over the summer directly to new students and posted on the Undergraduate Orientation website and the Office of Residential Life and Learning website. New students participating in one of the eight Pre-Orientation programs will arrive Friday, August 23, 2024. Additional information is detailed below. 

New students NOT participating in a Pre-Orientation program should plan their arrival for Wednesday, August 28, 2024. 

Optional Pre-Orientation Programs

The eight optional Pre-Orientation programs will take place prior to Undergraduate Orientation. Interested new students will be able to begin registering when the New Student Checklist opens in the beginning of June. The deadline to register for a program is June 15th. Program placement will be sent out later in June and final confirmation and payment will be due in July. The fee to participate in a Pre-Orientation program is $550.00. Updated information on all programs will be communicated over the summer and posted on the Pre-Orientation website.

Pre-Orientation Program Participant Arrival Dates

Pre-Orientation move-in will be Friday, August 23, 2024. The Pre-Orientation programs are:

• TWO (Tufts Wilderness Orientation)
• FOCUS (First Year Orientation CommUnity Service)
• BEAST (Building Engagement and Access for Students at Tufts)
• CREATE (Cultivating Relationships while Engaging with Arts at Tufts Experiences)
• FIT (Fitness and Individual Development at Tufts)
• GO (Global Orientation)
• SQUAD (Students Quest for Unity in the African Diaspora)
• SHAPE (Students Heightening Actionable Political Engagement)

Note: All Pre-Orientation Programs will end  Tuesday, August 28, 2024, with the exception of TWO (Students participating in TWO will return to campus Wednesday, August 30th, 2024). Undergraduate Student Orientation for all new students begins on Wednesday, August 30, 2024.

Undergraduate Orientation

Undergraduate Orientation for all new students, including incoming transfer students, will run from August 29 – September 2, 2024. The first day of classes will be Tuesday, September 3rd. The full schedule of 2024 Orientation is yet to be determined and will be released over the summer as plans develop. Updates can be found on the Orientation website.

Parent and Family Programming;

At this time Parent and Family Orientation and welcome programming is to be determined, and will be announced as the planning develops during the spring and summer. Families will be welcomed on campus for their students’ move-in day for optional family programming.  The Annual Matriculation Ceremony will be Thursday August 29, 2024. Families are welcomed to join in person or virtually for the Matriculation Ceremony. 

Information from last year and links to programs can be found on the Parent and Family page of the Undergraduate Orientation website. 

What You Need to Know Now/New Student Summer Checklist:

There is nothing to do at this time regarding Undergraduate Orientation. On June 3rd, 2024 students will be introduced to their New Student Summer Checklist. The Summer Checklist will guide new students through the summer and detail out several requirements they must complete prior to arrival. The Undergraduate Orientation team will also be in regular contact with new students and families throughout the summer in preparation for Fall 2024. We will begin by sending you a welcome email sometime in mid-May. For now, and for your reference, all e-mail communications and videos of informational webinars from Summer 2023 are archived on the Orientation website. Please note that this information is from the previous year and may change for the coming year. As you prepare for your journey to Tufts please refer to the Undergraduate Orientation website for updated information. If you have questions, please contact Orientation@tufts.edu.

*Updated 5/7/2024